Byron Center Boys Basketball

The East Kentwood basketball team celebrates with the district trophy after defeating Byron Center 62-45 in the district title game. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)

By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor

The old saying that defense wins championships was certainly spot on for the East Kentwood basketball team in Friday’s district championship game with Byron Center.

Thanks to a stifling defense that closed like a vise as the game progressed, East Kentwood won its first district championship since 2019 by defeating Byron Center 62-45. With the win, the Falcons move on to Monday’s regional semifinal at Holland West Ottawa where they will square off with Muskegon.

Byron Center had the upper hand for most of the early going, but as the second half wore on the East Kentwood defense became a more difficult puzzle to solve for the Bulldogs. In the fourth quarter, that defense paid dividends in a big way as the Falcons quickly seized the lead and never looked back.

“March is about dancing and we want to dance after every game,” said East Kentwood Coach Michael Thomas. “We are on a mission. Our guys have all bought in and believe in our system. We have a list of goals and we are checking them off.”

Bulldogs up 15-9 to end first quarter

Byron Center came out determined to prevent the Falcons from checking off the goal of winning a district championship and at the end of the opening quarter the Bulldogs were up 15-9.

East Kentwood roared back in the early going of the second quarter with a 9-0 run that put the Falcons up 18-15. Byron Center weathered that storm and regrouped during the remainder of the half, taking a 24-20 lead into halftime.

Byron Center continued to make things difficult for the Falcons in the third quarter. Displaying patience on offense and avoiding turnovers, Byron Center built its lead to 37-30 by the end of the third quarter.

The Falcons, however, continued to play solid halfcourt defense and picked up the intensity with their full-court defense in the fourth quarter. The constant pressure began to pay off in the final quarter. Trailing 39-36, Kentwood senior guard Marshaun Flakes stepped up on defense and turned the momentum of the game totally around.

East Kentwood senior guard Marshaun Flakes (5) applies defensive pressure during the district championship game. Flakes came up with a pair of key steals in the fourth quarter to break the game open. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)

With 6:36 remaining in the game, Flakes came up with a steal that he quickly turned into two points on the other end of the floor. Seconds later Flakes struck again as he stole a Bulldog pass and raced down the floor on a drive to the bucket that put the Falcons up 40-39 and whipped the large Kentwood cheering section into a frenzy.

“Marshaun reminds me of Dwyane Wade in the way that he is all over the court and can make sudden plays,” Thomas said. “He’s a slasher who can make big plays on offense or defense at any time.”

EK puts up an 18-2 run in fourth

The impact plays by Flakes highlighted an 18-2 run that East Kentwood went on to start the fourth quarter and take control of the game. The run was capped by two more buckets from Flakes that put the Falcons up 48-39 with 3:15 remaining in the game.

“We did a good job with our defense of speeding them up on offense,” Flakes said. “My teammates were playing great defense and I just rotated over and got the steals. Winning this district feels really good because there is some really good competition in this district. Our schedule was also really competitive during the season and that got us ready for the tournament.”

That run took Byron Center out of its rhythm and changed the tempo of the game. East Kentwood continued to put their foot on the gas and outscored the Bulldogs 14-6 to close out the game. Junior Christian Humphrey also gave the Falcon fans plenty to cheer about as he delivered three breakaway slam dunks in the final two minutes of the game that provided the icing on the district cake.

Flakes, who scored 12 points during the fourth quarter, led the Falcons in scoring with 22 points. Jamell Hatchett added 16 points, followed by Humphrey with 14.

With the win, East Kentwood improved to 18-6 for the season.

East Kentwood sophomore guard Jamell Hatchett sets up the offense during action in the district championship game. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)

“This feels good,” Hatchett said. “Coach changed the culture when he came in. We all believe in each other and we are a brotherhood. That is a big reason for our success.”

Byron Center finished the season at 14-11. Austin Buckley led the Bulldogs with 21 points and Camden Karel added 13.

South Christian wins Division 2 District at Plainwell

South Christian won the district title at the Division 2 Plainwell district in a big way. The Sailors put up 64 points on the scoreboard and limited Otsego to 29 points to earn the win.

With the win, South Christian improved to 21-3 for the season while Otsego ended the season with an 18-5 record.

South Christian will head to the Vicksburg regional on Monday where it faces Niles.